


Only Let Me Down

by modernpatroclus



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: 4x12 - Freeform, F/M, i'm just really excited for this to finally happen, spec fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-01
Updated: 2016-02-01
Packaged: 2018-05-17 17:35:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5879713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/modernpatroclus/pseuds/modernpatroclus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Felicity is giving a speech to announce her return to PT, Oliver stands proudly in the crowd watching. But when Felicity finishes, she sees him talking to the last person she'd ever expect.<br/><b>[Spoilers/spec for 4x12!]</b></p>
            </blockquote>





	Only Let Me Down

**Author's Note:**

> Because I’m like 99.99% sure that Kuttler is the mysterious Papa Smoak, and this promo pic has got me confused and excited. Not really sure what this is, but I wanted to post it before the episode.  
> I hope you enjoy!  
> (The title is from "Shouldn't Come Back" by Demi Lovato.)

* * *

 

Oliver stands near the back of the crowd, allowing for the various reporters to compete amongst each other for the best spots and angles to capture Felicity’s impending announcement.

As he waits for his fiancé to take the stage, the man standing to his left says, “She’s quite remarkable.”

Oliver turns to him and allows a slightly dopey smile to grace his face at the truthful praise of Felicity.

“She is,” Oliver replies, holding out a hand to shake with the man as he says, “Oliver Queen.”

The man returns the greeting, telling him his name. “Noah Kuttler. You must have had a rough few weeks after her accident,” Kuttler offers, and Oliver tries not to let the memories of that night, so blissful before _it_ happened, overtake him right now.

“It wasn’t an accident. It was an attack, and it was aimed at me for running for mayor.”

“I see,” the man says, and there’s a slightly calculative tone coloring the response.

Something about this man is vaguely familiar to Oliver, though he can’t figure out just what or how. His eyes, though not warm, hold something of a fire reminiscent to the passion he often sees in Felicity’s. Before he can figure out the mystery of this man, his thoughts are interrupted by a familiar voice – his _favorite_ voice – issuing from the speakers around the room, instantly commanding his attention.

“Thank you for coming tonight. I know there has been a lot of speculation over where Palmer Technologies stands after my accident,” Felicity begins, her voice just barely wavering with nerves, probably unnoticeable to everyone other than himself and the team.

“I’m here tonight to announce my official return. I assure you, my injury hasn’t affected my dedication to this company and its future success. My team here,” and she gestures almost absentmindedly to Curtis, standing to the side of her and smiling proudly, “in the Applied Sciences division is working on some very important projects.”

Oliver watches with rapt attention, all of his previous ponderings about Kuttler gone from his mind as he beams up at his brilliant fiancé. He’s so engrossed in what she’s saying that he doesn’t notice how the man beside him is watching Felicity with similar devotion.

If he had, he’d have thought it odd, the clear pride on his face, watching a woman he supposedly doesn’t know. But Oliver barely notices the man as Felicity wraps up the speech she’d spent a week preparing and rehearsing to perfection.

“She’s strong, that woman,” Kuttler comments over the applause, his familiar gaze locked on Felicity.

Oliver hums his agreement and waits for Felicity to make her way off of the podium.

* * *

Felicity wraps up her speech announcing her return to PT and other new developments and exits the platform. She takes a deep breath and mentally congratulates herself for not horribly embarrassing herself before she scans the room for Oliver.

When she sees who he’s standing with, she gasps.

She makes her way over there as quickly as possible, not for the first time cursing her limited mobility. When she reaches them, Oliver’s grin widens and he says, “Another perfect speech.”

Felicity gives him a halfhearted thanks before staring up at the man who has been silently watching her. The man whom she hasn’t seen in nearly ten years, since she tracked him down in high school before vowing to cut him out of her life forever.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, her anger allowing her to be blunt without feeling rude. She can feel Oliver’s curious gaze on her, but she continues to stare at the man, who simply smiles, apparently not surprised by Felicity’s less than warm greeting.

“I came to hear your speech. And to see how you were doing after your accident,” he says like it’s an obvious fact.

“Funny, I don’t remember this kind of concern from you after any of the multiple terrorist attacks that have happened in this city since I’ve lived here,” she snaps. She vaguely register’s Oliver’s hand land on her shoulder blade.

The man doesn’t falter, though. “I knew you were okay. I told you that I never stopped watching out for you.”

Oliver opens his mouth to interrupt, to ask what the hell is going on and just what Felicity’s relationship is to the man who claimed five minutes ago to have nothing more than a business interest in this press conference.

But before he can get a word in, the man, Noah Kuttler, as he’d introduced himself, comments, “You look just like your mother with your hair like that,” His smile is bittersweet, not quite reaching those too familiar eyes.

Felicity feels Oliver stiffen but holds her resolve.

She lifts her shoulders in defiance as if to ward him off. “Yeah, well, I wanted to get rid of as much of you as possible,” she says, her voice steely and her chin high, not looking away and silently congratulating herself on the walls she’s been able to keep up throughout the whole encounter.

And then realization slaps Oliver in the face. _It’s him. It’s her_ father.

 Oliver looks away from Felicity to Kuttler, then back to her again. Studying.

Felicity breaks the sudden, tense silence with, “Why did you really come? Did you think I wouldn’t _recognize_ you after all this time? Or did you _hope_ I wouldn’t?”

The words are sharp, each a little knife trying to cut him deeper than the last. After all, he caused her a childhood full of pain and heartbreak she can never fully recover from.

Kuttler sighs, the smile finally dropping and revealing a much older, wearied man. “I have a lot to explain to you. Is it possible you’ll let me see you somewhere more private? So we can talk?” he asks, looking much more earnest than he should after abandoning her and her mother for illegal money-chasing schemes.

Oliver’s hand lands on her shoulder again and she turns to him, meeting his worried gaze, silently pleading with him to help her.

 Neither of them speak, but he can read the emotions swirling in her eyes. She’s angry, confused, and afraid – afraid because she knows, deep in her heart, what she wants to say. But her mind is screaming at her that it’s a bad idea, that this man who left her and her mother heartbroken and alone deserves nothing less than a punch in the face and an emptied bank account.

But she’s only human, and she wants answers.

She drops her gaze to her left hand, staring down at her engagement ring and letting out an almost inaudible sigh. Oliver’s hand squeezes her shoulder and she hesitantly meets his gaze again, almost afraid of what she’ll see.

But when their eyes meet, she sees none of the judgment the irrational side of her brain was waiting for. Because it’s Oliver, and he knows her better than anyone. And of _course_ he’s not going to judge her for wanting to meet with her long estranged father. Instead he’s staring at her with concern, understanding, and that familiar love she didn’t quite know how to name until a year ago.

A mutual understanding passes between them, and Oliver nods just slightly, so that her father, watching her hopefully, doesn’t catch it. Felicity turns to him with a mask of what she hopes is firm warning.

“I will meet you tomorrow night at Big Belly Burger after work. We are going to stay in public because I don’t trust you, and Oliver will know where I’ll be. Try to actually show up this time,” she says, injecting some extra venom into her words before turning and heading for the door, Oliver following behind her with his hand still on her shoulder.

When they’re alone in the elevator, Oliver turns and crouches on his knees so they’re eye level.

“Hey,” he says, his voice soft and his eyes earnest. “I’m proud of you. He didn’t deserve a minute of your time. Are you sure you wanna meet him though?” His genuine concern makes Felicity smile in light of the last ten minutes.

“I am. He owes me some serious answers. And besides, I’m afraid if I don’t that he’ll try to reach out to my mom. And that’s the last thing she needs. She’s finally moving on,” she says, chuckling at Oliver’s look of dislike at the reminder of his earlier discovery of Donna and Captain Lance.

“Thank you,” she says sincerely, grabbing his hand. He smiles and squeezes back, running his thumb over the back of hers.

“Of course. I had no idea who he was when he started talking to me,” Oliver explains a little sheepishly, standing as the elevator stops and the doors open.

“Yeah, well like I said, my goal with the blonde hair was to get rid of my past. Both Cooper and my father,” she explains as they leave together. “Let’s go home. Tomorrow’s going to be a _very_ long day.”

“You won’t have to go through it alone,” Oliver promises. And despite the toll her injury and now father have taken on her, Felicity isn’t going to let it stop her from fighting for her city and living her life.

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said, I didn't really plan this out. I just can't wait to see the actual scene!  
> (Btw, I'm totally here for dark!Felicity after all the crap she's going through. It's gonna be ace.)  
> Feedback makes my day. :)


End file.
